Don't let bosses bulldoze Rainforest cafe workers

JOIN THE SOLIDARITY CARAVAN - Make your way to the Rainforest Cafe on Sunday May 19th for 12pm.

Rainforest Cafe workers in Niagara Falls are on strike for $15 and Fairness, and they will need all our support to win their fight for decent work. They are demanding a minimum wage of $15 an hour, respect at work, and an end to sexual harassment in the workplace.

When the Ontario minimum wage increased to $14 an hour in 2018, Rainforest Cafe started clawing back workers’ tips even as they changed the pay ratio to make workers more dependent on tips for their income. Sexual harassment is also prevalent in the workplace and the employer has done little to address the issue.

That's why these workers -- mostly women -- decided to form a union. They organized with Workers' United last year to bargain collectively for $15 and Fairness.

Rainforest Cafe workers were forced onto the picket line after the employer (the franchise owner is Canadian Niagara Hotels) reneged on commitments it had made previously during bargaining. Canadian Niagara Hotels has a history of stealing tips from those who work in its franchise operations.

The Rainforest Cafe is a franchise chain owned by the US-based "Landry's" whose CEO -- Tilman Fertitta -- is worth a staggering $5 billion according to Forbes 2019 list of billionaires. Fertitta has been dubbed "America's richest restaurateur."

Let's do everything we can to help these workers win their fight! If they win, we all win!